Q:
My son is 13 years old and he was diagnosed with chronic kidney disease (CKD) one year ago. His creatinine is 3mm/dL and 5mm/dL and protein in urine is ++. I want to know which vegetables and fruits he can eat. Please help me.
A:
You have consulted your son’s health condition on our website. His creatinine is around 3-5mm/dL, and this is quite higher than normal. You know creatinine is the metabolic wastes of muscles, even a breath can produce creatinine. We can say it is produced every moment as long as you still live. Nearly 95% creatinine is discharged by kidneys, so when kidneys work well, the creatinine is not high in blood test. When creatinine is higher than normal range, it usually indicates more than 75% kidney function gets injured.
Food is important for us normal person, and it is much important for patients. For high creatinine levels patients, they should obey the following diet suggestions:
1. Pay attention to protein intake
Meat contains high creatine which can increase the level of creatinine. Patients with high creatinine had better not eat too much meat. Protein-rich foods such as fish, eggs, red meat should be avoided. Because creatinine is found mainly in such high protein foods. However, protein is such an essential substance for our body, so we should take in proper high quality protein, like fish, lean meat, milk, egg white etc. How much protein should take depends on your son’s state of illness. Generally speaking, 0.6g per day is suggested.
2. Foods with low sodium
Reduce the intake of sodium. Kidney’s damage results in excessive fluid and sodium building up in the body. And much sodium can cause patients to have high blood pressure and edema, so your son should choose foods that contain less sodium in his diet. Patients need to avoid salt foods like pickles, bacon, potato soup and cheese sauce and so on.
3. Foods containing much vitamins-vegetables and fruits
Vitamin is important for body function, for example, vitamin A is very important for our immunity, so it is very important for patients with high creatinine to take foods which contain abundant vitamin like vegetables and fruits.
4. Water
It is worth mentioning that patients with high creatinine and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) should take much water if patients have no obvious edema, because water is good for patients’ kidney disease.
Diet can do some help for kidney disease people, but immediate treatment to repair kidney damage and improve kidney function is also needed.